When it comes to social media, one thing is clear – this powerful channel for communication and connection is here to stay! In fact, about 70% of the U.S. population uses at least one social networking site, and more than half use two. What’s more, the number of social media users worldwide is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2018.
The popularity of social media has significant implications for brands across the nation. Businesses are now using social media to increase visibility, connect with customers and leads, and grow their business. But social media marketing is not something that you can just jump into; it takes careful planning and execution to launch successful social media campaigns.
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Tips for Creating Killer Social Media Campaigns
Here are a few expert tips and tricks that you can use to develop and launch successful social media campaigns to help you reach more interested consumers:
1. Make sure that your profiles are optimized.
Your brand’s social media profile can be a consumer’s first impression of your brand. If they cannot find the information they are looking for when they view your profile, they may look elsewhere for products or services. That is why it is vital that companies make sure that their profiles are complete, accurate, and optimized for social media search. Be sure to include your correct contact information and location as well as a short yet compelling description of what your business offers.
2. Put the “social” in social media.
Business owners often forget that social media is inherently an engaging platform. Unlike other forms of marketing, social media requires brands to interact with their customers and followers. Just posting sales content is not going to cut it on channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Businesses need to find ways to start a conversation and engage their followers in a way that feels authentic and purposeful.
3. Speak in a language that resonates with your target audience.
The key to successful content marketing is knowing your audience. This is especially important when creating content for social media and engaging with your customers on different platforms. Brands should publish content that their followers and customers care about in a language that will resonate with them. Consider who your target market is and how they communicate before crafting posts or engaging with customers on your social media profiles.
4. Do some hashtag research.
Hashtags are a great tool for expanding your brand’s reach and connecting with your customers on social media. However, not all hashtags are created equal. It’s vital for brands to know which hashtags are not only appropriate but useful on each social media platform. This is where hashtag research comes into play. Find out which hashtags are popular in your industry, and use them to connect with influencers, customers, and potential leads.
5. Don’t forget about visual content.
Did you know that 74% of social media marketers use visual assets in their social media marketing? Visual content is an effective way to catch your audience’s attention and communicate information in a clear and compelling format. While some users may pass by a variety of articles in their Facebook or Twitter feed, an image or video can often catch their attention even when they’re on the go. Brands should take advantage of the popularity and effectiveness of this format by creating interesting visual content like infographics, video, live video, and other engaging image-related content.
6. Analyze past content to improve posts.
The only way to improve your social media marketing performance is to look at previous content to determine which was the most effective. Analyze content performance and look for patterns to see what your followers respond to best. For instance, you may find that videos get more likes and shares than blog posts or content that is more specialized and in depth performs better than content that is more general and broad.
7. Don’t be afraid of paid advertising.
One of the greatest benefits of social media marketing is its cost. For the most part, engaging with customers on social media platforms is free. For this reason, many business owners tend to shy away from paid advertising. However, brands can increase the success of their organic social media campaigns by using paid social media advertising to increase reach across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Businesses should not be afraid to put some money behind their campaigns by creating engaging paid ads.
Do you need help getting started with your social media campaigns? Contact the digital marketing experts at Ballantine to schedule a consultation today.
I'm the Director of Digital Services and Partner at Ballantine, a family-owned and operated direct mail & digital marketing company based in New Jersey. and started in 1966 by my great uncle!
